Crttde-oil-reeining process



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I'Mi

@Honing J. G. P. EVANS. CRUDE OIL REFINING PROCESS.

APPLICATION mio DEC. 15. 1919.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Qwuw Si E0 C.. 0L DH WPI. Amm VWD END IE IF PEM RF l N Gum |0T Em DI ULRP Dl CA V2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o I s o o r l u l o o n. a l c O 0 l 0 X.. o ...2. o o

@Hof/14 m JEWETT G. P. EVANS, OF HANDLEY, TEXAS.

CRUDE-OIL-REFINING- PROCESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Application led December 15, 1919. Serial No. 344,775.

Handley, in the county of Tarrant and State' of Texas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Crude-Oil-Rening i Processes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with improvements in crude oil rening processesand apparatuses.

The object of the invention is to refine crude oil in a simple andinexpensive manner andto take off the refined products at a very lowcost; at the same time obtaining refined products of a high grade andwhich are commercially superior to those products obtained from thestills now in common use and which latter products require furthertreatment after being taken-from the still.

The theo-ry involved in this invention is that of applying heat of ahigh degree at the top of a body of fluid, such as crude oil, andheating the liquid from top to bottom by contact or transmission,whereby the liquid 'is vaporized at different elevations in the body,according to its susceptibility. By this method the vapors of lesserdegree of heat will rise -through the liquid and vapors of higherdegrees of heat,thus being superheated land expanded. It will beappreciated that where heat is applied to the bottom of a body ofvliquid there is a partial condensation at the top due to circulation.With my process there can be no circulation as the hottest fiuids areuppermost and cannot descend. In view of these facts there can be noredistillation or second distillation which results in higher end pointsand by my process high gravity gasolene can be had with low temperatureend points; such products bein better adapted for blending withlowgravity distillates, and making for more flexible blending. Theprocess includes condensing the high degree vapors and superheatedvapors in a condensing lane according to their specific gravity; wherebythe condensedliquids or products may be taken from the still and furtherrefining made unnecessary.

In carrying out this particular process I have evolved an apparatuswhich includes a truncated conical liquid vatvopen at its upper end andsurrounded by a correspondingly shaped jacket of larger dimension,

whereby a condensing lane or space is provided around the vat.Collecting troughs are disposed at different elevations in the lane anddischarge pipes lead from the troughs. Liquid heating means is providedat the top of the vat.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus for carrying outmy process,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and lookingin the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a view showing the vat in plan and the jacket incross-section.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a truncated conical vatmounted on aV circular base 11 and having a cylindrical nue l2 at itstop. VThe base extends beyond the base of the vat and receives the lowerend of a conical jacket which jacket preferably includes an inner shell13 and an outer shell 14: between which heat insulating material 15 isinterposed. The shells are preferably made of sheet metal. The spacebetween the vat and the inner shell constitutes a condensing lane.

Collecting troughs 16 are disposed arounf the outer side ofthe vat atdifferent elevations. Over each trough annular drip flanges 17 dependfrom the inner shell. Condensation collecting on the shell 13 will rundown the same and drip from the first iiange encountered.

' One advantage of this still is that the base 11 may rest directly onthe ground and no supporting structure is required. A supply pipe 18enters the vat at the center of its bottom through the base plate. Theliquid is supplied at the bottom of the vat and heated at the top. Anysuitable heating means may be employed and I have illustrated animmersible electric heater 19 supported on the lower end of a pipe 20depending through the top of the jacket. The heater is positioned in thelower end of the fine 12 and is kept just under the topA of the body ofliquid by an overflow pipe 21 having a goose neck 22 at its upper end.The overflow pipe extends down through the base plate and leads to asuitable point of discharge. Discharge pipes 23 communicate with thetroughs through the vat and pass vments of crude oil which aresusceptible of vaporizing between these cxtreme degrees, will vaporizeat their proper elevation which vapor will pass upward through theheavier elements and vapors ot' higher degrecs, thereby beingsuperheated and expanded.

It will be seen that the vapors will rise trom the body of oil and passout oi the flue into the condensing lane which being -at a lowertemperature will cause a condensation oi' said vapors. ',lhe vapors willcondense as they setttle in the lane in the exact order in which theywere `formed. rThus the vapors having the highest degree of vaporizationwill likewise condense at the highest elevation and collect in the uppermost trough 16; while the vapors having the lower degrees ofvaporization will collect in the bottom trough and the lowest degreevapors will settle on the base ll from which a discharge pipe E25 leads.llhe condensate taken off through the pipe 25 will be high gradegasolene which will come oit1 sweet7 and not require further treatment.lt is pointed out that any vapors condensing on the inner shell i3instead of running down and mixing with lower degree condensates, willencounter a drip flange and tall into their proper trough.

One of the advantages of this process is that the heat radiated fromvapors condensing in the condensing lane is reclaimed by, the crudeliquid in the still, and in so tar as all condensate pipes as well asoverflow or residuum pipe maire exit through bottom oi still, all saidliquids leaving the still are robbed 'of their excess heat, and uponfinal exit are substantially normal in temperature.

What I claim, is:

ll. VThe herein-described process of relining liquids, which consists inholding a body of liquid to be distilled in a tapered mass increasing incross sectional area downwardly, vaporizing the liquid by subjecting`the upper portion of the tapered liquid mass` to a higher degree otheatthan the lower portion thereof, passing the vapors thus obtaineddownwardly below the level of the liquid mass in proximity to the sameto eftect a heat exchange between the vapors and liquid, condensingportions ot the vapors at different vertical points in proximity to theliquid mass by the heat exchange, and sepl arately collecting andwithdrawing the con densed vapors at the dille/rent vertical points.

2. The herein-described process of retining liquids, which consists inholding a body oif liquid to be distilled in a tapered mass increasingin cro -i sectional area downwardly, vaporizing the liquid by subjectingthe upper portion of the tapered liquid mass to a higher degree oi heatthan the lower portion thereof, eiiecting the upward travel oi theliquid within said mass by introducing the liquid into the lower portionthereof and withdrawing the same :tromthe upf per portion'oi the same,passing the vapors thus obtained downwardly below the level of the lieuid mass in roxirnit to 'the sameV to etlect a heat exchange between thevapors and liquid, condensing portions of' the vapors at differentvertical points in proximity to the liquid niassby the heat exchange,and separately .collecting and withdrawing the condensed vapors at thedifferent if'ertical points.

3. rlhe herein-described process of retining liquids, which consists inholding a body oi liquid to be distilled in a conical mass increasing indiameter downwardly, Vaporizing the liquid by subjecting the upperportion ot the conical mass to a higher degree of heat than the lowerportion thereof, eiltecting an upward travel of the liquid within theconical mass, by introducing the liquid into one end of the mass andwithdrawing it from the opposite end thereof, passing the vaporsobtained from the heating action downwardly below the level ot theliquid mass to surround the same in proximity thereto for effecting aheat exchange between the vapors and liquid, condensing portions of thevapor at diilerent levels in proximity to the liquid mass by the heatexchange, and separately collecting and withdrawing the condensed vaporsat the dilierent levels. Y

Ll. The herein-described process of retining liquids, which consists inholding a body ol" liquid to be distilled in an upstanding mass,vaporizing liquid by subjecting the upper portion oli the liquid mass tothe action ol? a higher degree of heat than the lower portion of thesaine, passing the vapors obtained irom the heating action downwardlybelow the level ot the liquid mass in proximity thereto for effecting aheat exchange betweenvthe vapors and liquid mass, condensing portions ofthe vapors at ditlerent levels in proximity to the liquid mass by theheat exchange, and separately collectingl and withdrawing the condensedvapors at the different levels.

5. rlhe herein-described processoi relining liquids, which consists inholding a body of liquid to be distilled in an upstanding mass,vaporizing the liquid by subjecting the upper portion of the upstandingmass to the action of a higher degree of heat than the lower portion ofthe same, eifectin a longitudinal circulation of the liquid Within theupstanding mass by introducing the same into one end of the mass andwithdrawing the liquid from the opposite end, passing the vaporsobtained from the heating action into an insulated passage whichsurrounds the upstanding mass below its level, causing the vapors thusintroducedA into the passage to travel downwardly therein for effectinga heat exchange between the vapors and liquid, condensing portions of 15the vapor at diiferent levels within the passage by the heat exchange,and separately collecting and withdrawing the condensed vapors at thedifferent levels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 20

JEWETT G. P. EVANS.

